Synchronous power converters are an ever-increasingly important part of power conversion strategies and systems. One type of power converter that has been of increasing interest is the “inductor inductor capacitor” converter (“LLC converter”), due to various advantages associated therewith. For example, please see Yang, “Topology Investigation for Front End DC/DC Power Conversion for Distributed Power System,” Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2003, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
However, there are certain drawbacks in employment of conventional LLC converters. These drawbacks can include a substantial “body diode conduction loss” of various transistors during a rectification cycle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,184,280 to Sun, et al., entitled, “LLC Series Resonant Converter and the Driving Method for the Synchronous Rectification Power Switches Thereof,” generally illustrates an LLC converter with transistors having significant body diode conduction.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an LLC converter that addresses at least some of the drawbacks identified above.